Pat's Rubber Legs Fly Pattern (Fly Tying Tutorial)

If you've spent any time fishing the western US, chances are you've heard/fished a rubber legs. These unassuming, simple stonefly patterns feature a body and legs - that's it - which means they're incredibly easy to tie. Even though they're really simple, trout in the western US feed on large stoneflies under the surface all the time so they're always looking for one of these. This is also a great guide pattern, searching pattern, and dropper. Tune in as Jared provides step-by-step instructions to tie this widely-used pattern and be sure to watch until the end when he gives some lesser-known advice about how to make this pattern even more realistic.

📜Chapters:
0:00 - Intro
0:20 - Hook
0:26 - Lead Wire
0:53 - Thread
1:19 - Tail
2:07 - Body
2:28 - Legs
3:05 - Body Pt. 2
4:32 - Antenna

~~
FOLLOW US:

[poudrehound]

I like the way you tied all the legs in at once. I hadn't thought of that. i'll give it a try. THanks.

[johnshand]

Nice simple tie. Will give it a go and see how it goes on the Kiwi trout. Thanks from down-under in NZ.

[dangracia]

A couple of things on tying that fly that I do and you might find helpful. First off, I like to take a piece of lead wire and bend it in half over the hook in the middle of where I want to wind it. Then I hold onto the back piece and wrap the front forward. When I get it wrapped to the correct spot, I'll put the pad of my finger against the thread wrap and, holding the tag close, pull the tag 180° away from it. That will cause it to break with a tapered end instead of a sharp edge. Then I'll wrap the back half of the lead wire towards the back and use the same technique to break it. That avoids those sharp bumps where it's trimmed. It works easiest with lead and it works with most of the lead substitutes too.

Another thing, after you tie in the lead and cover it with thread, take some smooth-jawed pliers or saltwater forceps and smash the abdomen flat. That makes for a wider and flatter abdomen. As long as it is mostly covered by thread, like you did in the video, it won't break and come apart. I think it still helps to trim top and bottom like you did in the video, but if you're in a hurry, this will give you a similar shape without trimming.

Another suggestion when you tie in the rubber-leg tails, tie them in at the tail position and then wrap your thread all the way to the front over the rubber legs, making both tail and antenna at the same time. I usually tie both fibers in, stretch them slightly and wrap to the front with open turns and then tie them down just a bit behind the hook eye. It's both easier and faster than tying tail and antenna in separately.

And if you have time to do it, adding some Crystal Flash as a wingcase in a complimentary color makes this fly deadlier yet. Don't sweat it though if you are in a "Sri Lanka" tying mode because, if you're fishing it right, you'll lose a lot of these flies during the day.